1988 World Series
Team (Wins) Managers Season Los Angeles Dodgers (4) Tommy Lasorda 94–67, .584, GA: 7 Oakland Athletics (1) Tony La Russa 104–58, .642, GA: 13
Dates	October 15–20
Venue(s)	Dodger Stadium (Los Angeles) Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum (Oakland)
MVP	Orel Hershiser (Los Angeles)
Umpires	Doug Harvey (NL),Durwood Merrill (AL),Bruce Froemming (NL),Derryl Cousins (AL),Jerry Crawford (NL),Larry McCoy (AL)
Hall of Famers	Umpire: Doug Harvey Dodgers: Tommy Lasorda (manager) Athletics: Tony La Russa (manager) Dennis Eckersley Dave Parker
Broadcast
Television	NBC
TV announcers	Vin Scully andJoe Garagiola
Radio	CBS KABC (LA) KSFO (OAK)
Radio announcers	Jack Buck andBill White Ross Porter andDon Drysdale (KABC) Bill King andLon Simmons (KSFO)
ALCS	Oakland Athletics overBoston Red Sox (4–0)
NLCS	Los Angeles Dodgers overNew York Mets (4–3)
World Series program
← 1987 World Series 1989 →

The1988 World Series was thechampionship series ofMajor League Baseball's (MLB)1988 season. The 85th edition of the World Series, it was abest-of-seven playoff played between theAmerican League (AL)championOakland Athletics and theNational League (NL)championLos Angeles Dodgers, with the Dodgers upsetting the heavily favored Athletics to win the Series in five games to win their sixth championship.

The series is best known for the Game 1pinch-hit walk-off home run by star Dodgers outfielderKirk Gibson, who did not start because of injuries to both legs yet hit the winning homer against Athletics closerDennis Eckersley. Although Gibson's homer has become an iconic World Series moment, it wasWorld Series MVPOrel Hershiser who capped a dominant 1988 season in which he set theall time scoreless inning streak at 59 innings, recorded five straight shutouts, led the league with 23 wins and 267 innings, and won theCy Young andGold Glove awards. Hershiser was theNL Championship Series MVP, starting three games, getting the save for Game 4, and shutting out the Mets in Game 7. In the World Series, he shut out the A's in Game 2, and pitched a two-run, complete game in the decisive Game 5 victory.

The Dodgers won theNL West division by seven games over theCincinnati Reds, then upset theNew York Mets, 4 games to 3, in the NLCS. The Athletics won theAL West division by 13 games over theMinnesota Twins, then swept theBoston Red Sox, 4 games to 0, in theAL Championship Series.

The Dodgers were the only MLB team to win more than one World Series title in the 1980s, as they had previously won the championship in1981. Their victory also broke a 10-year streak in which 10 different major league ballclubs won a World Series with no repeat winners.^[1] They would not win another World Series until2020.

The Dodgers' team batting did not finish in the top five in any offensive statistical category except batting average (fifth), at .248—no regular or backup hit over .300 or drove in over 90 runs.Kirk Gibson's 25 home runs led the team but was only good enough for seventh in theNational League. SluggerPedro Guerrero had a sub-par year and was traded in July to theCardinals for starting pitcherJohn Tudor.Kirk Gibson was the only Dodgers position player named to theAll-Star Game, but declined the invitation.^[2]

However, the Dodgers were sixth in the NL in runs scored and backed that up with excellent pitching. Despite trading All-Star pitcherBob Welch (to Oakland, ironically) prior to spring training and an injury toFernando Valenzuela (5–8, 4.24 ERA), the Dodgers were second in the NL in team ERA and runs allowed, and led the league in complete games and shutouts. The staff was anchored byCy Young Award-winnerOrel Hershiser, who led the league in wins, won-loss percentage (23–8, .864), complete games (15), shutouts (8), and sacrifice hits (19).

Hershiser was backed up by a pair of Tims,Tim Leary (17–11, 2.91) and rookieTim Belcher (12–6, 2.91), and the July acquisition ofJohn Tudor further strengthened the staff. The bullpen was outstanding, headed byJay Howell (21 saves, 2.08),Alejandro Peña (12 saves, 1.91), Brian Holton, and longtimeNew York Mets closerJesse Orosco. The Dodger bullpen led the league in saves with 49.

It was intensity and fortitude, however, that defined the 1988 Dodgers, a trend that began whenKirk Gibson was signed as a free agent over the winter from theDetroit Tigers, the team he helped lead to the1984 World Championship. Moreover, the invincible Hershiser threw shutouts in five of his last six regular-season starts en route to a record 59 consecutive scoreless innings pitched, breaking the mark held by former Dodger greatDon Drysdale. Hershiser would dominate theMets in theNLCS, while Gibson hobbled through on bad knees and a bruised hamstring but would produce a memorable, if not the greatest, at-bat (in Game 1) of the World Series. Coincidentally, this was the second time the Dodgers had a no-hitter or a perfect game thrown against them in a season ending with a world championship. In 1981,Nolan Ryan tossed his record-breaking fifth no-hitter (breaking the mark of four set by ex-Dodger pitcherSandy Koufax) against a Dodger team that won theWorld Series. In 1988,Tom Browning of the Cincinnati Reds threw aperfect game which was also against a Los Angeles team that won it all.

The powerful Oakland Athletics had all the confidence and swagger of a heavily favored team. The "Bash Brothers" duo ofMark McGwire (32 home runs, 99 RBI, .260 batting average) andJosé Canseco (42 home runs, 124 RBI, .307 batting average) were in their early 20s, emerging as young superstars. Canseco became the first player tohit 40 or more home runs and steal 40 or more bases inMajor League history and would capture theMost Valuable Player award in theAmerican League. VeteransDave Henderson (24 home runs, 94 RBI, .304 batting average) and longtimePirateDave Parker (12 home runs, 55 RBI, .257 batting average), also contributed with both their bats and their experience. The 1988 World Series markedDon Baylor's third consecutiveWorld Series with three separate teams. Besides being a member of the 1988 Athletics, Baylor was also a member of the1986 Boston Red Sox and1987 Minnesota Twins.

The Oakland pitching staff was quite possibly the best in theAmerican League in 1988. They led in ERA (3.44), wins (104), saves (64), and were second in strikeouts (983) and second in fewest runs allowed and home runs allowed. The ace of the staff wasDave Stewart, an ex-Dodger (1978–83), who won 20 games for the second straight season. Another ex-Dodger was reliableBob Welch (17–9, 3.64) followed by 16-game winnerStorm Davis. After spending the previous 12 years as a starter, mostly for theBoston Red Sox andChicago Cubs,Dennis Eckersley would be converted into a closer in 1987 and would lead theAmerican League in saves in 1988 with 45. He would eventually have a distinguished 24-year career, gaining election into theHall of Fame in 2004. Another longtime starter (and another ex-Dodger),Rick Honeycutt, proved to be a capable set-up man to Eckersley, finishing with three wins and seven saves.

NLLos Angeles Dodgers (4) vs. ALOakland Athletics (1)

With Kirk Gibson unable to start and officially listed as day-to-day due to a pulled left hamstring and a severely swollen right knee, sustained on awkward slides into second base in the NLCS in Games 5 and 7, the Dodgers were at a disadvantage. Additionally, because aceOrel Hershiser pitched in Game 7 of the NLCS, the Dodgers started rookieTim Belcher in Game 1, and would be unable to start Hershiser three times in a potential seven-game series as they had in the NLCS. Meanwhile, Oakland, having swept the ALCS, sent a well-restedDave Stewart to the mound. Both pitchers, however, would have their troubles in this game. Belcher loaded the bases in the first by giving up a single toDave Henderson, hittingJosé Canseco, and walkingMark McGwire. Canseco was hit in the rightbiceps as he checked his swing and home plate umpireDoug Harvey awarded him first base. Dodger managerTommy Lasorda disputed this, thinking the ball hit Canseco's bat. Audio from the game seemed to confirm this, but replays showed the ball hit Canseco in the biceps.^[8]

Stewart's problems began in the bottom of the first when he purposely hitSteve Sax with his first pitch. After retiringFranklin Stubbs, Stewart balked Sax to second.Mickey Hatcher, Gibson's replacement who had hit only one homer all season, shocked the crowd by hitting a two-run shot off Stewart. Hatcher further excited the Dodger Stadium fans by running full speed around the bases. CommentatorJoe Garagiola noted, "He ran in like they thought they were going to take it off the scoreboard! He really circled those bases in a hurry!" and "He's a Saturday Evening Post cover!"^[8]

Stewart calmed down and the A's provided him a lead in their half of the second. After allowing a leadoff single toGlenn Hubbard and striking outWalt Weiss, Belcher's control problems continued as he walked both Stewart andCarney Lansford to load the bases. AfterDave Henderson struck out, Canseco crushed a 1–0 pitch for a grand slam to almost dead center, denting an NBC game camera in the process and giving the A's a 4–2 lead. Canseco's grand slam in Game 1 was his only hit of the series. His fellow Bash BrotherMark McGwire had only one hit as well: the game-winning shot that ended Game 3.

With one out in the sixth, the Dodgers broke Stewart's groove with three consecutive singles byMike Marshall,John Shelby, andMike Scioscia; Marshall scored. Stewart retired the next two batters to end the inning and strand Shelby in scoring position, but the Dodgers had cut the A's lead to 4–3.

Unknown to the fans and media at the time,Kirk Gibson was watching the game on television while undergoing physical therapy in the Dodger clubhouse.^[9] At some point during the game, television cameras scanned the Dodgerdugout and commentatorVin Scully, working forNBC for the 1988 postseason, observed that Gibson was "nowhere to be found".^[9] This spurred Gibson to call for Mitch Poole, the team ball boy, to set up the tee for him to take some warmup swings. After a few swings, Gibson told Poole to go get Lasorda for an evaluation; Lasorda presently appeared. Shortly thereafter, Gibson was seen in the dugout wearing his batting helmet.^[10] Along the way, NBC'sBob Costas could hear Gibson's agonized-sounding grunts after every hit.^[11]

A's closerDennis Eckersley came on to pitch the ninth to close it out for Stewart. After retiring the first two batters (Mike Scioscia andJeff Hamilton), Eckersley's former A's teammateMike Davis, batting forAlfredo Griffin, walked on five pitches. During Davis' at-bat,Dave Anderson initially entered the on-deck circle to hit forAlejandro Peña. Eckersley pitched carefully to Davis because the A's remembered the home runs he hit for the A's a year earlier, not—as popularly believed—because the light-hitting Anderson was on deck.^[12][13] After Davis walked, Lasorda called back Anderson and sent a hobbledKirk Gibson to the plate, amid cheers from the Dodger Stadium crowd. Gibson bravely fouled off Eckersley's best offerings, demonstrating how badly he was hurting. On one foul, Gibson hobbled towards first and prompted Scully to quip, "And it had to be an effort to run THAT far." After Gibson fouled off several pitches, Davis stole second on ball three. On the next pitch, the eighth of the at-bat, Gibson slammed a backdoor slider into the right-field bleachers to win the game. The footage of Gibson hobbling around the bases on both hurt legs and pumping his fist as he rounded second became an iconic baseball film highlight.

Gibson would never bat again in the Series, and his walk-off homer in Game 1 marked the first World Series game ended with a come-from-behind home run. Gibson's homerun was aided by Dodgers scoutMel Didier, who before the game told the team's left-handed hitters (Gibson included): “If Eckersley gets you at 3-2 and there’s a runner at second base or third base and it’s the tying or winning run, Eckersley will throw you abackdoor slider on 3-2.” Gibson and Davis worked Eckersley into that situation, and the next pitch was a backdoor slider that Gibson hit for the game winning homerun.^[14]

By the time Kirk Gibson reached his locker after Game 1, bullpen coach Mark Cresse had written "R. HOBBS" on a piece of paper and taped it over Gibson's nameplate, alluding to the walkoff homer by the fictional slugger played byRobert Redford inThe Natural. Indeed, the next night, NBC replayed the home run, intercutting it with film and music of the Hobbs home run from the movie.

Game 1 is the only game in World Series history in which a grand slam-hitting team failed to win both the game and the series. (In 1956, theYankees hit a grand slam and lostGame 2 but prevailed in the series; in 2025 theBlue Jays hit a grand slam and wonGame 1 but lost the series).

Gibson's home run came 13 seasons after the previousWorld Series walk-off home run (Carlton Fisk'shome run in Game 6 of the1975 World Series), which remains the longest time between World Series walk-off home runs since the first one was hit in 1949. Five walk-off homers were hit in the following 13-season span (including the Mark McGwire home run later in the 1988 Series.)

Gibson became the second player to record a walk-off hit with two outs and his team trailing in the bottom of the ninth inning of a World Series game, followingCookie Lavagetto in the1947 World Series. Only one other player,Brett Phillips in the2020 World Series, has since accomplished this feat. This was the last Game 1 walk-off home run until2023.Freddie Freeman would accomplish part of this feat in the2024 World Series, but his walk-off came during extra innings. Freeman's home run is often compared to Gibson's, as both batters were facing injuries at the time, and both home runs landed in right field, nearly in the same spot.

Game 1 was the first time the Dodgers won a game in the World Series after trailing through eight innings since Game 4 in 1947. This would happen again in Game 7 in 2025.

With a restedOrel Hershiser on the mound, the Dodgers took a 2–0 Series lead. Hershiser went the distance, allowing only three singles, all three hit byDave Parker. The Dodgers got to Oakland starterStorm Davis with a five-run third. After one-out singles by Hershiser andSteve Sax, consecutive RBI singles byFranklin Stubbs andMickey Hatcher made it 2–0 Dodgers beforeMike Marshall capped the scoring with a three-run home run. Hershiser himself got an RBI whenAlfredo Griffin singled in the fourth and scored on his double. Hershiser was the first pitcher to get three hits in a World Series game sinceArt Nehf of theNew York Giants in Game 1 of the1924 World Series.^[15] He was also the first pitcher to record a World Series RBI sincePhiladelphia'sJohn Denny in Game 4 of the1983 World Series.^[16]

The Athletics got back in the series on the strength of strong pitching by former Dodger World Series heroBob Welch and three relievers. Dodger starterJohn Tudor left during the second inning with tightness in his pitching shoulder and was relieved byTim Leary who pitched the next3+2⁄3 innings andAlejandro Peña who pitched an additional three innings.

Oakland struck first in the third whenGlenn Hubbard singled, stole second, and came home on a single byRon Hassey. The Dodgers tied it in the fifth whenFranklin Stubbs drove homeJeff Hamilton with a double.

Oakland relievers helped squelch a Dodger threat in the sixth.Danny Heep led off with a double.John Shelby singled to left, but Heep was held up at third on the throw home as Shelby took second. Welch walkedMike Davis to load the bases, and left-handerGreg Cadaret was brought in to face lefty-hittingMike Scioscia. Scioscia popped out to third. Oakland managerTony La Russa then brought in right-handerGene Nelson to face Hamilton, who forced Heep out at home.Alfredo Griffin grounded out to end the threat.

RelieverRick Honeycutt held the Dodgers scoreless in two innings of work. The Athletics got their winning run in the bottom of the ninth whenMark McGwire deposited a one-out fastball from closerJay Howell, who had struggled in the NLCS and also was suspended for illegally using pine tar, into the left-center field seats.

After Gibson's Game 1 home run ended the longest drought between twoWorld Series walk-off home runs (12 years and 360 days), it took only three days for McGwire to hit the next one, which is the shortest amount of time between two such home runs. The 1988 World Series became and remains the onlyWorld Series to have multiple walk-off home runs as of 2024.

Without injured sluggersKirk Gibson (25 HR) andMike Marshall (20), the Dodgers started the game with what was statistically one of the weakest hitting World Series teams since thedead-ball era. During the regular season the Game 4 starting line up ofSteve Sax (2B),Franklin Stubbs (1B),Mickey Hatcher (LF),Mike Davis (RF),John Shelby (CF),Danny Heep (DH),Jeff Hamilton (3B),Mike Scioscia (C) andAlfredo Griffin (SS) combined for a total of just 36 home runs. Only one player of the group had even ten home runs (Shelby). Between them,José Canseco andMark McGwire had hit 74 home runs for Oakland. Canseco alone had hit more home runs (42) than the Dodger lineup while McGwire's 32 almost matched the Dodgers.

The Dodgers got two runs in the first when Steve Sax walked, went to third on a Mickey Hatcher single, and scored on apassed ball by Athletics catcherTerry Steinbach. Hatcher scored the second run on a groundout by John Shelby. Oakland got one back in their half whenLuis Polonia led off with a single, went to second on a passed ball, and later scored on a José Canseco groundout.

Los Angeles went up 3–1 when Franklin Stubbs doubled and scored when Oakland shortstopWalt Weiss couldn't field a liner by Mike Davis (the play was ruled an error.) The Athletics answered in the sixth on an RBI single byCarney Lansford.

A key play came when the Dodgers got their final run in the seventh. With Alfredo Griffin on third and Steve Sax on first with one out, pinch-hitterTracy Woodson hit what looked to be an inning-ending double play grounder. But Lasorda called for a hit-and-run play so Sax was going on the pitch. Oakland tried for the double play, but Sax barely beat the throw to second. So when the throw to first beat Woodson, it was only the second out, allowing Griffin to score.

The Oakland half of the seventh was also dramatic. With one out, Weiss singled and reached second when he was called safe on a double-play grounder hit by Polonia in a similar play to the Dodgers' scoring play in the top half of the inning; Weiss was running with the pitch.Dave Henderson cut the Dodger lead to 4–3 on a two-out RBI double. After Dodgers relieverJay Howell entered the game, José Canseco walked andDave Parker reached on a Griffin error to load the bases, but Game 3 hero Mark McGwire popped out, stranding three and ending the inning.

The Athletics managed to get singles in the eighth byRon Hassey and in the ninth by Henderson, but Howell rebounded from his earlier postseason woes to stop both rallies, including striking out Canseco and inducing a foul pop out byDave Parker in the ninth to strand the tying run at first and end the game. The Dodgers now held a commanding three games to one lead.

While hosting Game 4 onNBC, Bob Costas angered many members of the Dodgers (especially managerTommy Lasorda) by commenting before the start of the game that the Dodgers quite possibly were about to put up the weakest-hitting lineup in World Series history.^[17] That comment ironically fired up the competitive spirit of the Dodgers. Later (while being interviewed by NBC'sMarv Albert), after the Dodgers had won Game 4, Lasorda sarcastically suggested that the MVP of the 1988 World Series should be Bob Costas.

Orel Hershiser capped one of the greatest seasons ever by a starting pitcher and one of the most improbableWorld Series wins in history by pitching acomplete game, allowing only four hits, two runs, and striking out nine.Stan Javier had two RBIs with a single and a sac fly.

In addition to Hershiser's performance, the Dodgers won becauseMickey Hatcher stepped in for the hobbledKirk Gibson in left field and provided spark, enthusiasm, and unexpected offense. He hit his second home run in the Series off Oakland starterStorm Davis, a two-run shot, in the first inning; he had hit only one home run in the entire 1988 regular season.

Mike Davis, a disappointing free-agent signing for most of the 1988 season, added a two-run homerun in the fourth off Davis, and former World Series MVPRick Dempsey, filling in for an injuredMike Scioscia, drove in Davis with an RBI double in the sixth.

The only drama of the game briefly arose in the 8th inning: after Javier's single brought the lead to 5–2, Hershiser walked Dave Henderson to bring the tying run to the plate in the form of 42-homer manJosé Canseco. Hershiser got him to pop out, and struck out Dave Parker to end the threat. He struck outTony Phillips for the final out to give the Dodgers their first World Championship since1981.

Oakland came into the World Series heavily favored, but the Dodgers out-hit (41–28 hits, .246–.177 batting average), out-muscled (5–2 homeruns), and out-pitched (2.03–3.92 earned run average) the seemingly unbeatableOakland Athletics, improbably winning the Series in five games, outscoring the A's, 21–11, bringing the Dodgers their sixth World Series Championship, the second as a manager forTommy Lasorda. Dodger pitching tamed Oakland starsJosé Canseco (one hit, hisgrand slam in Game 1) andMark McGwire (one hit, his walk-off home run in Game 3) for all but their single homeruns the entire series.

The Dodgers became the first (and so far only) team to have aperfect game pitched against them and win a World Series in the same season.Tom Browning of theCincinnati Reds pitchedthat perfect game on September 16, 1988.

With theLakers winning theirfifth NBA championship in nine years four months before, the Dodgers winning the World Series made Los Angeles the first city to have both NBA and World Series champions in the same year.^[18] This accomplishment would be repeated in 2020, with the same two teams winning theirrespectivechampionships again.^[19]

1988 World Series(4–1):Los Angeles Dodgers (N.L.) overOakland Athletics (A.L.)

The 1988 World Series marked the last time thatNBC^[21] would televise a World Series for seven years. Beginning in 1990, NBC would be shut out ofMajor League Baseball coverage completely, afterCBS signed a four-year, exclusive television contract. After splitting coverage of the1995 World Series withABC, NBC would next cover a World Series exclusively in1997 and again in1999.Beginning the following year, the fall classic would air exclusively onFox (they had previously broadcast the1996 and1998 editions) where it has remained ever since.

Longtime Dodgers broadcasterVin Scully called the World Series for NBC along withJoe Garagiola; this was the last World Series that Scully would call on television (although he would subsequently call several more onCBS Radio). It was also the final World Series broadcast on either medium, and the final NBC telecast, for Garagiola. When NBC returned from a commercial break at the start of the bottom of the ninth inning of Game 1, Scully stated (as NBC's cameras were panning the Dodgers' dugout) that Gibson (who wasn't in the dugout at the time) wouldn't play for sure. According to Gibson, who was watching the telecast in the Dodgers' clubhouse as the game started, Scully's comments in large part influenced his decision to want to bat.^[22]

As previously mentioned,Bob Costas, who along withMarv Albert, hosted NBC's World Series pregame coverage and handled postgame interviews made on-air statements that enraged many in the Dodgers' clubhouse (especially managerTommy Lasorda). Costas said that the1988 Dodgers possibly had the weakest hitting line-up in World Series history. After the Dodgers won Game 4, Lasorda (during a postgame interview with Marv Albert) sarcastically said that the MVP of the World Series should be Bob Costas.

On the radio side,Jack Buck andBill White provided commentary for CBS Radio. This was Buck's sixth World Series call for CBS Radio and White's fifth. Game 5 was the final baseball broadcast for White, who had been calling games (primarily for theNew York Yankees) since 1971; shortly after the World Series ended he replacedBart Giamatti aspresident of the National League.

The Series was also broadcast by the teams' localflagship radio stations using their own announcers. In the San Francisco Bay Area,KSFO aired the games withBill King andLon Simmons announcing, while in Los Angeles,KABC aired the games withRoss Porter (substituting for Scully) andDon Drysdale announcing.

This section needs to beupdated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(June 2021)

During the second inning of Game 1, NBC affiliateWMGT-TV inMacon, Georgia, had its on-air feedhijacked by an unidentified technician who formerly worked for the station's video department. The video feed of the second inning was replaced by an unidentified black-and-white pornographic movie for ten seconds (which likely came from a subscription channel), while audio of Vin Scully was still presented throughout the incident.^[23][24][25] Following the investigation which led with authorities, the unidentified technician from WMGT was immediately fired from the station. The station's production manager, L.A. Sturdivant, released a statement explaining that the broadcast intrusion was triggered by accident rather than deliberately planned, and was being "treated as a serious matter."^[26]

After three days of investigation following the station's wiring at the control panel being rewired, Sturdivant replied that the fired technician may have accidentally flipped the wrong switch, which caused the World Series broadcast to switch from NBC's KU-Band signal over to the C-Band satellite signal that carried the X-rated material. During the final stages of investigating, local officials later put forth other theories that may led into the hijack such as a videotape having been brought into the studio and watched by the technician or deliberate sabotage from an outside prankster that would've explain the alternate case of the incident, but Sturdivant disagreed on its alternate theories.^[27]

This was the lastWorld Series thatPeter Ueberroth presided over ascommissioner. Incidentally, Ueberroth rose to prominence for organizing the1984 Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

The 1988 World Series was the first ever postseason series to have multiple walk-off home runs. This has since occurred in the2004 NLCS,2014 NLCS and2019 ALCS; it has yet to happen in another World Series.

This would also be the last World Series to feature each league regular seasonMost Valuable Player until2012.

Following this confrontation, both teams appeared onFamily Feud withRay Combs for a special sweeps week billed as a World Series Rematch.

1988 A's relieverRick Honeycutt would later serve as the Dodgers pitching coach for 13 years (2006-2019). Honeycutt's 14 years as the Dodgers pitching coach (under four different managers) tiedRon Perranoski for the longest tenure in that role in the organization's history.^[28] A's star outfielder and Los Angeles nativeMark McGwire was also a Dodgers' hitting coach from 2013-2015.

The Dodgers would not make another World Series appearance until2017,^[29] where they would lose in seven games against theHouston Astros, who won their first World Series title. The Dodgers would make another World Series appearance the following year in2018, but lost to theBoston Red Sox in five games, marking the first time the Dodgers lost back-to-back World Series since1977 and1978, where they lost both World Series to theNew York Yankees. They would not win another World Series until2020.

The A's made it to the World Series the next two years, winning the1989 "Loma Prieta earthquake"series 4-0 vs. theSan Francisco Giants and being swept by theCincinnati Reds 4–0 in1990. The A's haven't appeared in the World Series since. The closest the A's have gotten to the World Series since that time was in1992, when they lost to theToronto Blue Jays in theAmerican League Championship Series in six games and2006, when they lost to theDetroit Tigers in theALCS in a four-game sweep.

Before the start of the2018 season, the Dodgers commemorated the anniversary of Gibson's home run with the introduction of the “Kirk Gibson seat,” which is where his home run landed after winning Game 1 of the 1988 World Series. The seat in question was Section 302, Row D, Seat 1, though the Dodgers have renumbered that seat 88. The seat would be painted blue and signed by Gibson and the tickets cost $300, which includes a $200 donation to the Kirk Gibson Foundation to raise money and awareness for Parkinson’s research.^[30]

In Game 4 of the2018 World Series between theDodgers and theRed Sox, 30 years after that 1988 World Series walk-off home run,Dennis Eckersley (who was there covering the Red Sox as aNESN color commentator and analyst) andKirk Gibson reunited for the ceremonial first pitch atDodger Stadium and Gibson had a bat ready before catching Eckersley's pitch.^[31] InGame 3 of that series,Max Muncy would hit the Dodgers first walk-off World Series home run since Gibson's in 1988 of Game 1.

The Dodgers' World Series capped off a spectacular decade of sports for the city of Los Angeles. Los Angeles hosted the aforementioned mentioned 1984 Summer Olympics, its first since hosting the1932 Summer Olympics. In terms of team sports, theShowtime Lakers won five NBA championships in the decade (including one in1988, just a day under four months before the Dodgers victory), theRaiders moved from Oakland to Los Angeles and won the city's firstSuper Bowl, and theLos Angeles Kings traded forWayne Gretzky in August 1988, who was even at that time considered the greatest hockey player ever. For their part, the Dodgers were the only team to win more than one World Series in the 1980s.^[32] The next Los Angeles championship did not come until the2000 Lakers. 32 years later in 2020, the Dodgers and Lakers would again win aWorld Series andNBA Finals in the same season.

This would be the final World SeriesVin Scully called on either television or radio that featured the Los Angeles Dodgers. Scully would call World Series games onCBS radio until1997. The next time the Dodgers advanced to the World Series (2017),Charley Steiner was now the radio play-by-play announcer and went on to call Los Angeles's victory overTampa Bay in2020 (Scully had retired from broadcasting after the 2016 season).

Freddie Freeman's grand slam off theNew York Yankees'Nestor Cortés Jr. to winGame 1 of the2024 World Series for theDodgers—the first walk-off grand slam in World Series history—was widely compared to Gibson's home run. Like Gibson, Freeman was playing through injury (a badly sprained ankle in Freeman's case), and both players also came to bat with the Dodgers trailing by a run and down to their last out in Game 1 of the World Series.^[33] BroadcasterJoe Davis' call onFox's national broadcast of "...she is gone!" echoed Scully's call for the Gibson homer, and Davis also added, "Gibby, meet Freddie!" Both Gibson's and Freeman's home runs were to right field at Dodger Stadium, in almost the same spot, and both came at 8:37 p.m.Pacific Time.^[34][35][36] Finally, just like 1988, the Dodgers would end up winning the series in 5 games.^[37]

And look who's coming up... All year long, they looked to him to light the fire, and all year long he answered the demands, until he was physically unable to start tonight, withtwo bad legs!... And with two out, you talk about the roll of the dice, this is it!... So the Dodgers trying to catch lightningright now!

High fly ball into right field...SHE IS GONE!!

In a year that has been so improbable, theimpossible has happened!

Hey, look at the way he's limping! That's impossible for him to come out and bat, isn't it?

We have a big 3-2 pitch coming here from Eckersley. Gibson swings, and a fly ball to deep right field!THIS IS GONNA BE A HOME RUN!!UNBELIEVABLE!!! A HOME RUN FOR GIBSON!! And the Dodgers have won the game, 5 to 4! I DON'T BELIEVE WHAT I JUST SAW!! I don't believe what I just saw!! Is this really happening,Bill?...One of the most remarkable finishes toany World Series game: a one-handed home run by Kirk Gibson!...I have seen a lot of dramatic finishes in a lot of sports, but this one might top almost every other one!

Nobody thought we could winthe division. Nobody thought we could beat the mighty Mets. Nobody thought we could beatthe team who won 104 games, but we believed it!

• 1988 Japan Series

• Neft, David S.; Cohen, Richard M. (1990).The World Series (1st ed.). New York: St Martins. pp. 425–429.
• Forman, Sean L."1988 World Series".Baseball-Reference.com – Major League Statistics and Information.Archived from the original on November 30, 2007. RetrievedDecember 9, 2007.

• 1988 World Series atWorldSeries.com viaMLB.com
• 1988 World Series atBaseball Almanac
• 1988 World Series atBaseball-Reference.com
• The 1988 Post-Season Games (box scores and play-by-play) atRetrosheet
• History of the World Series - 1988 atThe Sporting News. Archived fromthe original in May 2006.
• Destiny's Boys at SI.com
• 1988 NLCS | Game 4
• 1988 Los Angeles Dodgers at baseballlibrary.com
• 1988 Oakland Athletics at baseballlibrary.com
• Baseball's 25 Greatest Moments: Kirk Gibson's Home Run

• World Series
• 1988 Major League Baseball season
• Los Angeles Dodgers postseason
• Oakland Athletics postseason
• 1988 in Los Angeles
• 1980s in Oakland, California
• October 1988 sports events in the United States
• Baseball competitions in Los Angeles
• Baseball competitions in Oakland, California
• 1988 in sports in California

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